Show-case.



No. 843.143. PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

M. F. GEBHARDT.

SHOW CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. '7, 1906.

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PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

M. F. GEBHARDT.

SHOW CASE.

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SHOW CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed March 7,1906. Serial No- 304,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX F. GEBHARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Show-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to showcases; and

one of the principal objects of the same is to provide a show-case which may be opened from the back by a dealer to expose the goods for sale in front of the case and to permit the purchaser to make a selection of the goods from the case.

Another object is to provide a show-case in which a segmental opening at the front and top of the case may be opened and closed by a curved glass strip or section by a dealer standing behind the case to permit a purchaser to gain access to the snow-case to withdraw the goods selected therefrom.

In show-cases as usually constructed the top of the case is provided with sliding sections to permit access through the top of the case or doors at the back of the case permit it the dealer to eithdraw the goods from the case and present them to the purchaser by placing the goods on top the case. In dealing in certain classes of goods, like cigars, for instance, it has been found. very desirable to permit the purchaser to make his own selection from any given box of cigars, and w ith show-cases as at present constructed this requires considerable time and inconvenience.

It has been the object of my invention to facilitate the sale of goods of this character by presenting the goods to the purchaser in a manner to permit him to make the desired selection readily from quite a large stock of goods displayed lengthwise of the case within easy reach through an aperture which can be opened and closed quickly by the dealer.

The foregoing and other advantages are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation and a vertical section of a show-case made in accordance with my present invention, one half of the case being shown in section and the other half in elevation and the movable glass door or front being partially opened. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line a a of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the cushionstrip extending across the front of the case and provided with a cushion to prevent the sudden jar of the curved glass door. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a cushioning de vice adapted to be used at the side of the curved door or section, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cushioning device and retarder for the rear edge of the curved door of the case.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the framework of the showcase, which maybe of various sizes and shapes, depending upon the class of goods it is desired to display and sell therefrom. Within the casing a iloor 2 is provided, and below said floor is a compartment 3, for containing goods. The doors 4 at the rear of the case may either be hinged or mounted to slide. The rear portion 5 at the top and back of the case is flat or horizontal, and the front 6 of the case is of glass to display the goods within the same. The ends 7, one of which'is shown in Fig. 2, each consists of a section having a groove 8 therein for holding the curved section 9, which is adapted to be moved for opening and closing the opening 10 in front of the case. The curved section 9 is also of glass and is mounted upon a spider or sector 1 1, comprising the two radial arms and the cross-bar 12, connecting said arms. This spider or sector, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided with a hub 13, secured to a plate 14 by means of a bolt 15, passing through the hub and plate and fitted with nuts 16 to hold the same in place and permit the hub to have a pivotal action upon said bolt.

At the outer ends of the arms 11 the curved plate 9 is secured by means of the sectional rim 17, the glass plate 9 being cushioned from said plate by a strip of felt or other cushioning material, and at the side edges of the casing a rubber strip 18 holds the edge of the glass in place and prevents the entrance of dust to the casing. A heading 19 secures the rubber strip 18 in place, as shown in Fig. 4.

At the back of the circular section 9 a strip 20 of rubber, felt, or other material is held in position on the glass section 9 by means oi a spring-clip 21, which embraces the glass 9 and the strip 20, as shown in Fig. 5. To cushion the front edge of the glass as it is closed, a strip or bead 22 is secured to the plate-glass front 6 of the case and is provided with a groove 23, in which a strip of cushioning material 2 1 is placed, said strip iro being preferably hollow, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a cushion for the front lower edge of the door 9.

A shank 25, connected to the spider, extends downward therefrom, and a counterweight 26 is adjustably secured to said shank 25 by means of a set-screw 27. The object of the weight and adjustment therefor is to properly balance the curved section 9 and to permit it to swing easily to an open and closed position.

Connected to the cross-bar 12 is a link 28, pivotally connected to a bell-crank lever 29, a connecting-bar 30 being connected tosaid bell-crank lever and extending downward, where at its lower end it is pivotally connected to another bell-crank lever 31.

Extending transversely at the bottom of the casing and connected to the lever 31 is a connecting-rod 32, which extends to a point nearly central and is there connected to an elbow-lever 33. The upper end of the lever 33 is pivotally connected at 34 to a vertical connecting-rod 35, the upper end of which is attached to a slide 36, mounted to move vertically at the back of the show-case. It will be understood that the bell-crank levers and connections are reversely disposed upon opposite ends of the case, so that when the slide 36 is moved upward or downward the section 9 of the case is swung upon the pivotal point 15 to open or close the opening 10 in the case. The operating mechanisms at the ends of the case are inclosed by housings 37.

The operation of my invention may be described as follows: The knob 38, adapted to move in the slot 39, is operated by the dealer at the back of the case to move the slide 36 and the connections to the spider 17, carry- Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a showcase, a movable curved glass closure, a swinging spider for supporting and carrying said closure, a shank connected to and projected downward from said spider, a slidable counterweight always diametrically balanced secured to said shank, means for adjusting said weight on the shank, and a system of levers operating from the back of the case for opening and closing said closure.

2. In a show-case, a curved glass movable section rigidly mounted upon a swinging spider, an adjustable counterweight connected to and slidably adjustable on the lower por tion of the swinging spider, a link connecting the spider with a bell-crank lever, and a system of connecting rods and levers leading from said bell-crank lever to a slide at the' central portion of the case for operating said glass section.

3. A show-case having a glass front, a curved glass section mounted upon a swinging spider, an adjustable counterweight slidably connected to said spider, a cross-bar connecting the radial arms of the spider, a link connected to said cross-bar, and a series of levers and connecting-rods leading from said link and connected to a slide at the central upper portion of the case for operating said curved glass section.

4. In a show-case, a curved glass closure mounted upon a swinging spider, cushioningstrips for said glass closure, a downward proj ected portion integral with said spider and carrying a slidably-adjustable weight, a system of levers and connecting-rods leading from the spider to and connected with a slide at the central portion of the case, and a knob or button connected to said slide, substantially as described.

MAX F. GEBHARDT.

In presence of- T. HOWARD EMBERT, GARRETT Y. CLARK. 

